only temporary, an outcry arose in 1951when permanent flat granite markersreplaced them.The National Memorial Cemetery of thePacific was the first such cemetery to installBicentennial Medal of Honor headstones,the medal insignia being definedin gold leaf. On May 11, 1976, a totalof 23 of these were placed on the gravesof medal recipients, all but one of whomwere killed in action.NATIONAL MEMORIALCEMETERY OF THE PACIFICThe National Memorial Cemetery of thePacific (informally known as PunchbowlCemetery) is a national cemetery locatedat Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu,Hawaii. It serves as a memorial to honorthose men and women who servedin the United States Armed Forces, andthose who have given their lives in doingso. It is administered by the NationalCemetery Administration of the UnitedStates Department of Veterans Affairsand is listed on the National Register ofHistoric Places. Millions of visitors visitthe cemetery each year, and it is oneof the most popular tourist attractionsin Hawaii. was refused in succession byGovernors Ben Cayetano and Linda Lingle.In February 1948, Congress approvedfunding and construction began onthe national cemetery. Since the cemeterywas dedicated on September 2,1949, approximately 53,000 World War I,World War II, Korean War, and VietnamWar veterans and their dependents havebeen interred. The cemetery now almostexclusively accepts cremated remainsfor above-ground placement in columbaria;casketed and cremated remains ofeligible family members of those alreadyinterred there may, however, be consideredfor burial.Prior to the opening of the cemetery forthe recently deceased, the remains ofsoldiers from locations around the PacificTheater—including Guam, Wake Island,and Japanese POW camps—weretransported to Hawaii for final interment.The first interment was made January 4,1949. The cemetery opened to the publicon July 19, 1949, with services for five wardead: an unknown serviceman, two Marines,an Army lieutenant and one notedcivilian war correspondent Ernie Pyle.Initially, the graves at National MemorialCemetery of the Pacific were markedwith white wooden crosses and Stars ofDavid—like the American cemeteriesabroad—in preparation for the dedicationceremony on the fourth anniversaryof V-J Day. Eventually, over 13,000 soldiersand sailors who died during WorldWar II would be laid to rest in the Punchbowl.Despite the Army’s extensive effortsto inform the public that the starandcross-shaped grave markers wereIn August 2001, about 70 generic “Unknown”markers for the graves of menknown to have died during the attack onPearl Harbor were replaced with markersthat included USS Arizona after it wasdetermined they perished on this vessel.In addition, new information that identifiedgrave locations of 175 men whosegraves were previously marked as “Unknown”resulted in the installation ofnew markers in October 2002.The National Memorial Cemetery of thePacific contains a “Memorial Walk” thatis lined with a variety of memorial markersfrom various organizations and governmentsthat honor America’s veterans.As of 2012, there were 60 memorialboulders (bearing bronze plaques) alongthe pathway. Additional memorials canbe found throughout the National MemorialCemetery of the Pacific—mostcommemorating soldiers of 20th-centurywars, including those killed at PearlHarbor.After their retreat in 1950, dead Soldiersand Marines were buried at a temporarymilitary cemetery near Hungnam, NorthKorea. During Operation Glory, which occurredfrom July to November 1954, thedead of each side were exchanged; remainsof 4,167 US soldiers/Marines wereexchanged for 13,528 North Korean/Chinesedead. In addition 546 civilians whoFOR GREAT OFFERS AND FREEBIES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD VISIT OURTOWNSDEALS.COM • ©2021 DISCOVER THE BEST OF MAGAZINE • OURTOWNSFINEST.COM • 818-573-5443
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